I continue to explore how churches, especially small churches, might be a place for multiple generations. One of the hesitations that I have about the emerging church movement is that its particularity as a postmodern movement may make it inaccessible to people older than 40. Of course, I know the response to this hesitation of mine is that "regular church" is already for the over forty crowd. I get it...I get it. However, if we are trying to build a new approach to church, I think it's important to keep in mind the clashes of generations and how the differences between and among them could be part of their strength. Remember Pentecost? Difference is a gift from God.
In my reading, I ran across an article published a couple of years ago in a local paper. While it concerns different attitudes toward and hopes for the working envirnoment, it offers me more to add to the growing pile of articles, books, videos, and notes about the active four generations (Greatest, Boomers, Gen X, and Gen y/Millenials/Nexters). The article, The War at Work, follows employment trends and how they are related to attitudes about life, work, family, and the world.
finding delight * seeking justice * valuing mercy * extending invitation * making peace * upsetting applecarts * building community * tending creation * digging deeper * contemplating the divine
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3 comments:
Welcome to RGBP!
In full agreement with you about the need for all age churches in rural areas- small congregations- most of the churches I work amongst fall into that category, one has chosen to go cafe church- but the average age is 67!
welcome to revgals btw!
I wonder how the church can bring the symbols and language of a new century and add them to the symbols and traditions of ages past. In this process perhaps the church could actually make room for all ages to worship one God in one community. That's a hope I have and a working hpothesis. Rural churches pose an even different set of mitigating circumstances, huh?
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